문화의 상호작용에 대한 문화기호학적 접근: 한국 비보이와 러시아 발레 뤼스를 중심으로

Abstract

It has been frequently indicated that the existing model for cultural interaction is not fully appropriate for explaining the (new) situation of cultural encounters and exchanges on the (whole) global level, the new trend usually called by "globalization". Increasingly problematic is the cultural imperialistic model supposing the relation between the West and the Third World as unilateral implantation and reception. The main problem is to devise an alternative model that can accommodate the rapidly changing conditions of cultural interaction, a model which understands the cultural interaction as reciprocity in communication instead of unilateral relationship. In this presentation the author attempts to demonstrate what useful insights we can draw from Yuri Lotman's thoughts on the mechanisms of cultural interaction, particularly his concepts on cultural translation that accompany creative transformation. Using these insights as a theoretical foundation, "B-boy" culture of contemporary Korea will be examined as a case study of intercultural communication, which will be compared with the "Ballet Russes," an international cultural phenomenon that grew out of Russian and French culture a century ago. Lotman's attempt to newly design a framework for the problems of cultural interaction, which can be summarized as "from influence to dialogue" is oriented to the following core question: how does the receiver in the context of cultural interaction internalize the message sent by the sender and become a sender itself? In other words, what enables the periphery to play the role of the center and what is the concrete, specific mechanism of "transformation" that occurs in the process? Lotman's theoretical frame, which emphasizes the interactivity of communication of cultures and the dynamic process of cultural translation, has the potential to become a new model for productive cultural hybridity that will take the place of the prevalent framework of 'cultural imperialism'.